To Make A Choice
by GoldenEnderHawk
Summary: The Doctor has to make a choice... who lives and who dies? He has to choose between the two most important people to him... Clara and their daughter... Sad little Whouffaldi three-shot.
1. Chapter 1

The Doctor's POV

"Please, Davros. Please don't make me choose something like this!" I pleaded. He had implanted a device into Clara and a device into our 4 month old baby: Ellie. This device could only kill one person, it would make sure that they die slowly, it releases a poison into the body. The button only worked once so only ONE device could be activated. I had to make a choice. Who lives, and who dies? Davros was holding the dreaded dangerous button.

"Why are you making me choose something like this?" I asked as I looked at Sarff who was currently holding Ellie. He was standing next to Davros.

"You will suffer, Doctor! You have caused so much pain for the Daleks! And we will have our revenge..." Davros explained. My gaze shifted to Clara who was standing on the other side of Davros, two Daleks aimed their weaponry at her to make sure that she didn't run away.

"Doctor..." Clara said softly, "Show our daughter the stars." she gave me a sad smile.

"N-no, Clara..." I replied, "I-I can't... I can't choose something like this!" Clara then held her hand out to me. I quickly walked towards her and grabbed her hand in mine, I leaned down and put my forehead to hers.

"Doctor... You can't let Ellie die like this..." she whispered.

"And I can't let _you_ die like this..." I whispered back.

"You have shown me so much, Doctor. Ellie has seen nothing. I want you show her the universe like you showed me..." she told me.

"There is... another option..." Davros started, "Doctor. You die, then I will let Clara and your child live. Maybe..."

"No. Don't you dare die, Doctor." Clara warned, "This universe needs you more than it needs me, okay?"

"Clara, you have died too many times for me. Let me die for you."

She shook her head, "Can't you just regenerate?" she hoped.

"No! This is permanent. Everytime he regenerates the poison will continue to slowly kill him. You will see the rest of his faces before he finally dies!" Davros explained.

"I'll do it, Clara..." I assured.

"No you won't. Won't it feel like dying over and over again?"

I nodded, "Yeah. It hurts like hell aswell..."

"You have so many years ahead of you, Doctor."

"So do you!" I replied.

"Mine are limited compared to yours. You could go on for thousands of years! I have a maximum of eighty left!"

"Time is ticking..." Davros spoke, "You have ten minutes to decide, Doctor... Or I will have my Daleks exterminate Clara AND Ellie..."

I turned to look at Davros, "Why won't you kill me? You've got me. You have a perfect shot."

"You suffering for eternity is a lot better than you dying..." Davros replied. Clara pulled my hand making me turn back around to look at her. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled my lips down to hers. When we pulled away I used my thumb to wipe the tears away from her cheek.

"Our life just keeps on getting worse, doesn't it?" Clara laughed sadly.

"Clara, I'm not a good man. And I am definitely not a good father. Ellie would learn so much more from you."

"You are a good man, Doctor. And you are the perfect father for Ellie."

"I have a duty of care." I whispered, my voice overridden with sadness.

"I never asked for that, Doctor. You will be a lot better at keeping Ellie safe." cries from Ellie then filled the room. I walked towards Sarff and quickly, but carefully, took Ellie from him.

I patted her cheek gently, "Shh..." I tried to calm her down but her cries started to become louder.

"You better shut that child up, Doctor!" Sarff hissed. I glared at him before turning and walking back over to Clara, she took Ellie out of my arms.

"Hey..." Clara whispered, "Shh, it'll be okay..." Ellie's cries almost instantly died down.

"See... you're so much better with her." I said.

"You'll get better, Doctor. Please." she replied. I grabbed her left hand and kissed her ring, "I love you, Doctor."

I nodded, "I love you, too." I muttered. She let out a short gasp before quickly handing me Ellie. I turned to look at Davros. He had pressed the button without warning. Clara slowly made her way to the floor and lay on her back, "Hang on, my Clara." I said as I went towards my TARDIS. I entered and placed Ellie into the cot in the console room. I then instantly turned and exited the TARDIS and made my way over to Clara. I picked her up bridal style, "This won't be the last time you see me." I threatened Davros and Sarff. I entered the TARDIS and shut the door with my foot. Sexy then automatically sent us into the vortex.

I placed Clara onto the console room floor, "Doctor... it hurts..." she whispered, painfully.

"Gods, you are brave aren't you, Mrs Oswald-Smith." I smiled as I sat down next to her and placed her head on my lap.

"I have to be." she replied slowly as her eyes started to drift shut.

"N-no, Clara. Please... just a little bit longer... Please..." I stuttered. She tried her best to keep her eyes open. Clara's phone then dinged... I reached into her pocket and took the phone out. It was a reminder...

Clara smiled sadly as she shut her eyes, "Happy three year anniversary, Doctor."

I sighed, "Happy three year anniversary, Clara." a tear fell from my eye as Clara let out her final breath.


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor's POV

Tears slipped down my cheeks as I gently cradled Clara, her eyes slowly beginnning to close. My sadness soon turned to anger, "I'm not letting this happen my Clara." I shook my head, "I can't." She was too weak to speak another word as her eyes finally closed. I kissed her on her forehead as she experienced her final heartbeat.

I carefully moved Clara off of my lap before laying her down flat on the cold console room floor. I then stood up before walking over to Ellie's cot... contemplating whether or not I should go through with this. I looked down at Ellie, who was now asleep, and I soon realised that she needed Clara. She needed Clara a lot more than me. I rubbed my hands together as I turned back around to look down at Clara, I shook my hands as the familiar golden glow surrounded them.

A voice interface of Idris soon appeared, "You will do no such thing." she announced.

"Sexy..." I mumbled, "I have to."

"No. No you don't. You will not waste one of your lives!"

"I'm not wasting it!" I told her, "It's a perfectly good use of a life. To save Clara. She needs to be here for Ellie... and me." I paused, "Please, old girl. I would use up all of my regenerations to save Clara. J-Just let me use one."

Idris shook her head, "I'm not so sure about this, Thief."

"You can't stop me." I stated as I kneeled down next to Clara.

"It's rare that this works though, Thief! And you know that!" she exclaimed, "There is a high chance that her body won't be able to handle that amount of regeneration energy." I then instantly flicked my hands to make the regeneration energy die down, I then held my head in my hands, "If it didn't work... then I know you wouldn't be able to handle seeing her die again."

"I've seen her die many times before... Her echoes."

"But this is the original Clara. Surely you wouldn't want her to suffer so much."

I sighed, "You just don't want me to save her because you two didn't get along."

"That is not the reason, Thief. Clara and I may not be a common grounds... but I didn't despise the woman. We accepted eachother, okay? We might have been borderline friends!" she explained. I glanced at Clara's body before pulling her back into my lap and holding her close. Idris let out a sigh before saying, "There is another way."

I looked up at her, "Wh-What? How?"

"You should know." she began, "What was it that you gave to Ashildr?"

"N-No." I said, "I-I can't give her a repair kit. There's no way she would want to be immortal forever. I'll end up dying and leaving her here. Unfortunately, Ellie isn't immortal either... I can't imagine how devastated she'll be when both of us are gone."

"Doctor." Idris said sympathetically. A repair kit then fell out of panel from from the ceiling and landed next to me. I gulped audily as my eyes drifted to the repair kit. I bit my lip as I reached for the device, my hand shaking in the process, "Use it."

"But what if it doesn't work? It doesn't work on everyone..." I bit my lip as I rolled kit around in my fingers.

Idris replied, "Don't think about that. If it works, it works. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work."

I smiled down at Clara, "She is going to hate me for using this." I reluctantly and slowly lowered the repair kit onto her forehead. Idris and I then waited... and waited... "Please, Clara." I whispered as I pulled her into a tight hug. I then looked up at Idris, "I-Is there any sign of life?" Idris just shook her head. I placed my hand on Clara's cheek, "Come on, Clara. We can travel the universe forever. Together. You, me and Ellie." I glanced at Idris with a smile, "And the old girl, of course." soft cries could then be heard from Ellie's cot, "You see, Clara. I have no idea what to do now."

"Perhaps you should tend to Ellie, Thief." Idris suggested. I reluctantly moved Clara off of my lap before standing up. I walked over to Ellie and picked her up.

Her cries were still present, but they weren't too bad, "Hey, Ellie." I whispered, "I know what will cheer you up." a tear ran down my cheek.

"I thought you said you didn't know what to do." Idris stated. I ignored her and walked towards the TARDIS doors and opened them - allowing Ellie to look out into space.

I nodded, "This is what we're going to do for the rest of our lives, Ellie." my voice cracking slightly, "Travelling the universe. Saving everyone." I looked over my shoulder at Clara's lifeless body, "S-Saving everyone... except for your mother." Just as I closed the TARDIS doors, a noise behind me caught me off guard. I quickly turned around to see Clara... Clara coughing - trying to catch her breath. I dashed over to the cot and put Ellie in there, kissing her on the head in the process.

"D-Doctor?" Clara said, breathlessly. Idris was smiling with relief.

I sat next to her and pulled her into an embrace, "Clara, my, Clara." my eyes started to well up once more, "You're making me cry so much my Impossible Girl. It's been so horrible." I said as my throat started to hurt from the excessive crying.

"Wh-What... What did you do?" she asked.

I shook my head as I buried my face into her shoulder, "It doesn't matter."

Clara, despite the lack of strength at the moment, managed to put her own arms around him, "Doctor..." she said quietly. I knew that she would soon fall asleep - it was a side effect from the repair kit.

"Please don't hate me for what I have done, Clara."

"I-I could never hate you, Doctor."

I clutched her tighter, "I used a repair kit, my Clara. I'm so so sorry. I'm so selfish for using it. I need you. And I'm one hundred percent sure that Ellie needs you too."

"I-I d-don't know- I don't know what to say." she whispered. I pulled back slightly to look at her face. Her eyes were filled with tears and they were closed most of the time. I leaned forward and placed my lips on hers.

"Just... sleep for now, Clara. We can talk about this when you wake up."

She sighed but nodded, "I love you, Doctor." she was too tired to fight back - the Doctor knew that she wanted to shout at him for using the repair kit - he knew that this was something that she was strongly against.

"I love you too, Oswald." a sad smile appeared on my face as her eyes soon stayed shut. I gave her one last tight hug before standing up and picking her up bridal style, "C-Can you watch Ellie, Sexy?"

"Of course, Doctor." Idris replied, "I have put your bedroom closer to us. First door on the left down that hallway." she pointed towards a corridor.

"Thanks, old girl." I responded before heading towards mine and Clara's room.

x

The door to the bedroom automatically opened as I approached. I put Clara on the bed before pulling the covers over her. Clara wouldn't wake up for a few more days and as much as I would like to stay here and wait for her to wake up... Ellie needed to be attended to.

I soon made my way back to the console room before sighing, "Clara is going to kill me."

"Well..." Idris started, "It's your fault for giving her the repair kit."

"Are you serious?" I questioned, "You're the one who told me to use it in the first place!"

"You could've just used your regeneration energy but nooo... you had to make it so much more complicated!" she said.

I rolled my eyes, "You are a piece of work, aren't you?" Idris smirked before her voice interface disappeared. I let out a smile, "Thanks, old girl."

x Six Months Later X

I carried Ellie through the forest - showing her the brightly coloured trees that glowed in the moonlight, "This is a special forest, Ellie." I said, "The trees change colours depending on your emotions slash personality."

The leaves were currently red and white - meaning love and safety, "God knows how you feel safe with me, Ellie. You would be better off with Clara... But she's still not awake." I sighed. After walking through the forest for a few minutes, I decided to head back as Ellie let out a yawn.

On the way back, the leaves changed their colour: to orange and yellow - meaning happiness and joy. Ellie then tried to reach up to grab the leaves, "Leas!" she exclaimed.

"No no no." I smiled down at her, "You can't touch the leaves. They're one of the hottest things in the universe! Could potentially singe your hands right off!" I kissed her on the forehead.

Upon arriving at the TARDIS, the doors automatically opened. I stepped inside but stopped to take a glance over my shoulder - to look back at the forest. The leaves then all turned to grey and black. I shook my head before walking over to the crib to put Ellie inside. The doors closed as the TARDIS was sent into the vortex. Ellie soon fell asleep.

A voice interface of Idris appeared, "Thief..." she began.

"What?" I asked as I sat down on one of the seats.

"Don't believe what the leaves say."

"They're always right, old girl." I muttered.

Idris shook her head, "No. You are not like that."

"Well..." I said, "The black leaves tend to mean 'evil'. And... the grey leaves tend to mean 'depression'. Pretty much sums me up I guess."

"Doctor, you aren't-"

I cut her off, "I don't need you to reassure me." I glared at her.

"Fine." she said, "Perhaps you'll listen to me now." the voice interface suddenly turned into Clara.

"D-Don't do that." I told her, "That's just torturing me."

"Don't you want to hear Clara's voice again?" 'Clara' spoke as she approached me.

"Yes. But not like this." I replied as I leaned back in my seat. 'Clara' then placed her hands on my shoulders - even though it was a voice interface... I kind of felt that they were real.

She told me, "From scanning Clara whilst you were out... It seems that she will wake up soon. Between six to twelve hours from now actually."

"R-Really?" I asked with hope as I looked directly into 'Clara's' eyes.

With a nod she replied, "Yes, Doctor." she then turned her head to the right to look down a corridor, "Go to Clara."

"Wh-What about Ellie?" I questioned.

"She'll be safe in here. I won't let anything happen to her and you know I won't." she looked back at me.

I bit my lip as she backed away from me, "Okay." I sighed as I smiled up at her, "Thanks, old girl." the voice interface then disappeared with a satisfied nod. I stood up and approached Ellie who was thankfully still sleeping. I leaned down to kiss her on the forehead, "Be back soon." I said before heading to mine and Clara's room.


End file.
